Client guide · Home care

Managing an incessant cough

soothe, and know when to call

Coughing is not normal in a pet: it almost always deserves a veterinary opinion. In the meantime, you can reduce triggers at home and recognize the signs that mean you should call right away. Here is how, and how to tell a true cough from a reverse sneeze (noisy, but harmless).

Emergency signs At home Frequently asked questions

This guide is a home-care support tool. It does not replace personalized advice from your veterinarian. For any questions, contact us at 514 223-1197.

Background

Coughing is not normal

A cough in a dog or cat almost always deserves to be evaluated by a veterinarian, to find the cause. The main exception: a dog that coughs only when pulling very hard on its leash, since pressure on the windpipe can make even a perfectly healthy dog cough. A harness is then preferable to a neck collar, and if leash-coughing recurs, have your dog checked.

In dogs

Heart disease
Lung disease
Chronic bronchitis (older dogs)
Tracheal collapse (weakening of the windpipe)
Kennel cough (contagious)

In cats

Asthma (allergic airway disease), by far the most common
Less often: parasites (including heartworm, which can mimic asthma), tumors, or foreign bodies

Acute or chronic?

An acute cough lasts 1 to 2 weeks (or less) and often resolves on its own or with treatment. A chronic cough lasts more than 2 weeks and usually points to a lasting condition. Either way, it all starts with identifying the cause.

Emergency

The signs that mean you should call right away

The cough alone is rarely dangerous. But certain breathing signs are emergencies: do not wait.

A cat breathing open-mouthed: emergency

If your cat starts breathing with its mouth open, like a panting dog, it is often an emergency. Call us or an emergency clinic immediately, without waiting. Handle it as little as possible: restraint and stress can worsen respiratory distress and can be fatal. Place it gently in its carrier without forcing it and come in, without trying to open its mouth.

For a cat already diagnosed with asthma, an attack (wheezing, hunched posture, marked effort) is also an emergency: if your veterinarian has prescribed a rescue bronchodilator with a spacer, give it as directed and come in without waiting.

Call us at 514 223-1197 See our emergency page

Labored, fast, or anxious breathing, or marked effort to breathe (dogs and cats alike).
Gums that are white, very pale pink, or bluish, instead of a normal pink.
A cough accompanied by respiratory distress or marked discomfort.
A cough that brings up blood, or pink or red-tinged froth (a possible sign of fluid on the lungs).
A pet that faints, wobbles, or collapses during or right after a coughing fit.
A sudden, violent episode where the pet claws at its mouth, panics, and cannot breathe: suspect an obstruction, this is an immediate emergency.

Counting the resting breathing rate

While your pet sleeps or rests calmly, count the chest movements for 30 seconds and multiply by two. A rate that stays above roughly 30 breaths per minute, or that climbs day to day, warrants a call. This is especially useful if your pet has known heart disease or feline asthma.

A panting dog is often normal

In dogs, open-mouth panting can be perfectly normal (heat, exercise, excitement). What should worry you is the effort to breathe or distress, not the panting itself.

Look closely

Cough or reverse sneeze?

A reverse sneeze looks alarming, but it is almost always harmless, and it is easily mistaken for a cough. Here is how to tell them apart.

A true cough

It can continue even if you gently open the mouth. It reflects an irritation of the airways and deserves a veterinary opinion.

A reverse sneeze

Loud, sudden sounds, close to snorting, in a standing dog that seems to sniff and gag at once. Alarming, but almost always harmless. To shorten it, stay calm and briefly cover the nostrils for a second, or gently massage the throat to trigger a swallow.

Film a short clip, it helps most

Film a short clip of the episode with sound and show it to us: that is often what speeds up the diagnosis. One clue in the meantime: with a calm dog, gently opening the mouth can interrupt a reverse sneeze, whereas a true cough persists. Do this only if it lets you: if it resists, seems stressed, or is struggling to breathe, do not insist (a stressed animal can snap by reflex, and difficult breathing is an emergency).

Before your appointment

Gather these four things, they speed up the diagnosis:

A short video of an episode, with sound.
How often the cough happens (times per day or week, and any link to meals or exercise).
A list of every medication, product, and supplement you give.
Recent outings: boarding, daycare, dog parks, or travel.

At home

Reducing triggers

Airborne particles can trigger or worsen a cough. Reducing the source sometimes cures a cough, and often relieves chronic ones.

The most common triggers

House dust
Tobacco smoke
Volatile odors: cedar shavings, carpet deodorizers
Pollens (depending on the season)
Mold spores

Improving the environment

Ventilate the home well (adequate airflow).
Keep the humidity right, around 50 to 60 percent.
Add an air purifier with HEPA (high-efficiency) filtration.
Stop smoking indoors.
Dust the areas where dust builds up.

Good for the whole family

These measures help people too. Dogs and cats live close to the floor, where particles (including smoke) settle: their cough can be an early warning that the air needs clearing.

During a cough

During a coughing fit, and medications

Here is what to do during a coughing fit, and what to know about medications.

Let the coughing fit run its course

It is often best to let the animal finish the fit, sometimes down to a final gag that can bring up a little white foam or mucus. The cough alone is rarely dangerous. This applies to an ordinary coughing fit, not to a pet that suddenly chokes and cannot breathe: in that case, call right away.

A bit of fresh air

Letting your pet breathe fresh air, away from indoor irritants, can sometimes quickly soothe a fit.

Keep your pet calm

Give it space and avoid over-handling it: excitement and exertion trigger and worsen coughing fits.

Medications, based on the cause

If the cough comes from a serious lung or heart problem, it is the daily treatment of the cause that will ease it. Persistent coughs that do not affect the general state may benefit from antitussives (to calm the cough), bronchodilators (to open the airways), or other support. A dry cough suits antitussives; a wet or infectious cough should not be suppressed, since that traps secretions. Ask us when to give them and how to adjust doses during a flare.

Never a human syrup without our okay

Some pediatric cough syrups can occasionally be used, but only on the strict recommendation of your veterinarian: several contain substances dangerous to pets, such as xylitol (a sweetener that causes liver failure and low blood sugar in dogs), decongestants (pseudoephedrine, phenylephrine), or acetaminophen (paracetamol), especially toxic to cats but also harmful to dogs. Never give a human medication on your own, and keep all medications out of reach of children.

Call us at 514 223-1197

FAQ

Your questions, our answers

What owners ask us most about coughing.

How long should I wait before calling you if my pet starts coughing?

Coughing is not normal, except for an isolated episode with an obvious trigger (passing through a dusty spot, or a dog pulling hard on its leash). Otherwise, it warrants a visit: it can be the first sign of a more serious problem, which is well worth catching early.

Are there different types of cough?

Yes: a dry cough produces no mucus, a wet one does. But the same disease can cause different cough types depending on its stage or a secondary infection. In practice, the sound matters less than the frequency: how often does your pet cough (once a day? once a week?). Note it down to speed up the diagnosis.

Should I worry if my pet coughs while eating or drinking?

It is a useful clue to report. Coughing or gagging that happens specifically during or right after eating or drinking points toward a swallowing or airway-protection problem (for example laryngeal paralysis in an older large-breed dog). It is not necessarily an emergency, but it changes the workup: let us know.

My cat sometimes makes awful coughing or gagging sounds. Is it an emergency?

Cats sometimes bring up a hairball, with or without coughing: this is common and almost never an emergency. However, if your cat keeps retching, coughing, or vomiting, it is wise to book an evaluation.

My dog has kennel cough: what should I do?

Kennel cough is contagious to other dogs: avoid daycare, boarding, and dog parks until the signs clear. In an otherwise healthy adult dog, it often resolves on its own within one to three weeks. But a puppy, a senior or immunocompromised dog, or any dog that is lethargic, feverish, eating poorly, or whose cough is worsening, should be seen sooner.

Does cigarette smoke at home play a role?

Yes, a major one: secondhand smoke worsens asthma in cats and chronic bronchitis in dogs, two very common problems. Medications help, but the most effective way to reduce the cough is to remove the exposure to smoke.

Find the cause, and breathe easier

A cough is a signal: almost always, it is worth finding the cause. By reducing irritants at home and following your veterinarian's treatment, most coughs settle. A recheck lets us track progress; and at the slightest sign of trouble breathing, it is an emergency. We are here.

Is your pet coughing?

A cough that lingers, that is getting worse, or any trouble breathing? Our team can find the cause and bring your pet relief. Book an appointment, or call us urgently if breathing is difficult.

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